


Dancin' Away With My Heart

by lifeinabeautifullight



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-11-28 19:52:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11424993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifeinabeautifullight/pseuds/lifeinabeautifullight
Summary: AU: The first time they meet, Alex Danvers is standing over a body with a smoking gun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been toying with this fic idea for a while. Bi-weekly updates. All comments are appreciated and loved!

It had been a quiet shift.

Then Maggie got a call a little after noon. From Brian, a hapless alien who she had met and befriended at the bar. He always meant well, although had a penchant for getting himself mixed up with the wrong crowd. Therefore, to hear that he was being followed wasn’t all that surprising. It was also probably minor but, given that she had little else to do, she headed out to go check on him.

She said to meet at the bar.

She found him, dead, in the alleyway with some chick standing over his body, gun still smoking in her hand.

Maggie immediately reached for her own firearm. ‘NCPD. Drop your weapon, put your hands in the air and turn around, slowly.’

The woman, about five foot six with short brown hair, did so. She was strikingly calm about doing so. She was also strikingly beautiful. ‘It was self-defence. He reached for his gun,’ she said, voice and expression utterly impassive.

Maggie kept her gun aimed as she approached, anticipating unrest.

However, the girl did not physically resist. Verbally, on the other hand, she was putting up one hell of a fight. ‘I respect that you mean well, officer, but this is way, way above your head.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Maggie muttered as she reached for her cuffs. ‘You’re under arrest for murder. You have the right--.’

‘I mean it. You’re making a mistake.’

‘—to remain silent,’ Maggie continued as she made sure the cuffs were a little tighter than usual for her cheek. ‘Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.’

‘That will not be necessary.’

Maggie decided to indulge her. ‘And why’s that?’

‘Because there’s something in my back pocket that will prove otherwise.’

It wasn’t like she was able to try much with her hands secured behind her back so, again, Maggie decided to humour her. Admittedly, her hand was a little hesitant to go scooping into the pocket of those skinny jeans but she did so anyway, because anything less would be unprofessional. She pulled out a leather card holder, flipped it open and saw three big blue letters. ‘You’re a Fed?’

‘Uncuff me,’ Agent Alex Danvers ordered.

The ID was an excellent replication but it was ultimately fake. There was no way that she worked for the FBI. ‘You’re not a Fed. Feds wouldn’t interest themselves with something like this. Someone like him. But I know exactly who you really are, though,’ Maggie said with narrowed eyes. ‘You’re DEO, aren’t you?’

Alex’s avoidance answered the question for her. ‘I said, uncuff me.’

As much as it pained her, she was powerless. The DEO weren’t just some shady government agency but they were a completely untouchable shady government agency. They could nuke the planet in the name of national security and still, legally, be in the right. She freed Alex from the cuffs. ‘You at least owe me an explanation.’

‘I owe you nothing.’ Alex grabbed her badge back.

‘You killed an innocent man.’

‘An alien.’

‘Who meant no harm.’

‘He was going to open fire.'

‘To defend himself.’ The poor guy would never had had the guts the actually shoot the damn thing. ‘Listen, we could go at this all day--.’

‘You can,’ Alex cut her off and turned to leave. ‘I have better things to do.’

‘Yeah some more shady government shit, right?’ Maggie watched her leave, unable to stop her eyes from tracking up the agent’s slender legs, her tight ass, her swaying hips, her perfect posture. It was a shame that such beauty was marred by a career choice. Maggie was so mesmerized by her, she almost missed it.

It - the glint from the adjacent rooftop.

The sniper.

She ran and threw herself at Alex without thinking twice.

The shot rang out.

The searing pain followed a second later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely response to the first chapter! There's a lot more to come in this fic so I hope you enjoy and, as always, feedback is appreciated! x

She woke on a gurney, a sterile drape across her chest protecting her modesty.

No one was in her immediate field of vision. Wherever she was looked like a hospital with harsh artificial lights and smelt like a hospital with an equally as harsh sterile smell but it was most certainly not a hospital. Maggie didn’t know what it was, where she was, but she knew this place wasn’t a hospital.

She tried to sit up, to leave, but felt a tugging at her arm and the return of that searing pain.

Gauze on her aching shoulder.

An IV in the crook of her elbow.

And a faint recollection of flying and an even fainter recollection of a call for _Supergirl_.

Maybe it was the drugs. She went to pull the IV out, for clarity’s sake, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

‘Hey.’ The beautiful Alex Danvers, whose slender figure was accentuated by a snug fitting black pullover, came rushing over to her bedside with a bundle of clothes in her hands that she deposited on Maggie’s lap. She ran gentle gloved fingers around the IV site, ensuring it was still secured. ‘Try to relax. You’re okay, but I need you to take things easy.’

‘You’re a doctor?’

Alex offered a kind smile. ‘Kinda.’

Things kept getting weirder and weirder. ‘Where am I?’ Maggie asked, although the answer now felt very apparent.

‘The DEO.’

‘So, I was right,’ Maggie’s words were met with silence. ‘Why did you bring me here?’

‘You saved my life, the least I could do was patch you up,’ Alex smoothed the tape securing the gauze before she peeled off her gloves. ‘The bullet grazed you, the wound was superficial. However, you did hit your head when you landed. That was what knocked you out. You have a probable concussion but you’re going to be okay.’

‘Gee, I didn’t think you cared,’ Maggie teased, although she got the impression that Alex did very much so. Given the circumstances in which they met, Alex could have very easily have let someone else treat her and had never seen her again. Yet, here she was because she truly cared or because she felt guilty. Either way she felt something.

Maggie was starting to feel something too. And that small smile that Alex was trying to supress only amplified her feelings.

‘Yeah, well. Like I said, it was the least that I could do. Thank you.’

‘Anytime,’ Maggie smiled. ‘So, do you often have snipers out to get you?’

‘More often than you would think.’

There was more to that story, that Maggie was sure of. ‘Things are never dull around you, huh? You get him?’

‘Of course,’ Alex grinned briefly and quickly, _very_ quickly, moved on. _Definitely more to that story_. ‘Listen, about earlier, about that alien. It was never my intention to shoot him, let alone kill him. He drew on me, quickly, and I had no other option.’

‘Why were you following him?’ There was no harm in asking, even though it predictably was not answered. ‘Classified, huh?’

‘Sorry.’

‘I respect that. I respect you. I do not respect the ethics of your organization though.’

‘We’re not perfect, that I am aware,’ Alex mused before turning her attention firmly back to her. ‘I brought you a change of clothes, since some of your clothing wasn’t quite salvageable. I want to keep you in here a little longer, run a few more tests but then you should be free to go. However, given the nature of your injury, you’ll need someone to stay with you overnight, just to make sure that you’re okay.’

‘Yeah, that might be a problem.’

Alex arched a brow. ‘You live alone?’

‘Very much so.’ She lived alone in so many senses of the phrase.

Alex nodded, bit down on her bottom lip as she considered the answer for a few seconds. Then, ‘I can stay with you.’

The suggestion made Maggie’s heart leap. This girl definitely cared, even if it stemmed solely out of guilt. ‘I couldn’t ask that of you.’

‘You’re not asking. I’m offering. I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for you.’

She tried to play it cool. Instead, it came out as obvious flirting which, usually, Maggie would have hated herself for but, right now, she didn’t. It tested the waters. ‘Shouldn’t a girl like you have plans?’

Alex scoffed. ‘Yeah, that’d be the day.’

She now knew that she was single. That was something. ‘Alright, if you have nothing better to do.’

/ / /

She hadn’t felt that bad in the DEO but a headache soon came on, and became progressively worse during the car ride home.

Alex must’ve sensed it and kept close to Maggie as they made their way from the car park to her apartment. ‘Nice place.’

‘Should be for how much rent I pay,’ Maggie remarked, hanging her leather jacket over the back of a chair. She took Alex’s near identical one and did the same. ‘Just so you know I don’t usually invite girls back to my place after a couple of hours.’ She used to, sometimes after only mere minutes and way, way too many drinks. That all stopped a few years ago, when she started valuing love over sex. Not that it had worked out well for her.

‘You’re gay?’

‘And, as of last week, single,’ Maggie said as she sat down on the couch.

Alex joined her. ‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t be. She let me know exactly what she thought about me. Some of it merited.’

‘What did she say?’

‘That I was hard-headed, insensitive and obsessed with work--.’

‘That’s not so bad.’

‘—also, borderline sociopathic and that she never wants to see me again.’ Shauna had been particularly emphatic with that last part.

‘She’s wrong.’

‘You don’t know me, Alex.’ Maggie barely even knew herself.

‘No, but you saw a sniper taking aimed at me, a stranger, and your first instinct was to get me out of his crosshairs.’

‘That’s my job, I guess.’ Well, that was the reason she was going for. Any chance to elaborate further on her reasoning was quelled by a burning pain at her temples that made her wince and groan.

Alex moved quickly, resting her hand on the small of Maggie’s back. ‘Headache?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Then let me do _my_ job,’ she said softly, her hand rubbing small circles. ‘Get some rest. I’ll crash here for the night.’

‘On the couch?’

‘I’m hardly going to climb in bed with you, I’ve only known you for like four hours,’ she said with a laugh but Maggie wondered how much truth lay in that statement, wondered if that beautiful woman sat beside her was gay too. She was probably just being nice, overly so to make up for having her life saved.

Even if she was gay, Maggie had no chance with her. Despite her iffy career choice, she seemed like a good person too. Good and beautiful? The universe had decided long ago that Maggie had no chance with women like Alex.

‘C’mon,’ Alex smiled as she stood to her feet, offering a hand. ‘Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.’


	3. Chapter 3

She couldn’t recall the last time someone had made her breakfast. It was probably her aunt when she last visited which was, at least, two years ago. Yet here Alex Danvers was, pouring orange juice into a glass and setting it beside a croissant. There was even a morning newspaper.

And a smile, a big ass smile on her face. ‘I’m not much of a breakfast person myself, but it’s important that you have something to eat. I hope this is okay?’

The smile was infectious. ‘More than okay. I wasn’t aware that I even had any croissants.’

‘You didn’t,’ Alex said, a little shyly. ‘My sister dropped by with them.’

‘Well, thank your sister for me please.’

‘I will,’ Alex nodded as she came over to Maggie. ‘I need to get to work but I want to make sure that you’re okay before I go. Sit on the couch for me.’

Maggie did as she was told.

Alex joined her. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘A little headache-y but not as bad as last night.’

‘Is it okay if I..’ Alex trailed off, gesturing towards Maggie’s face with her hands.

‘Of course it’s okay.’

Or so Maggie thought.

Her heart rate picked up the second Alex’s gentle hands cusped her face.

‘Look into my eyes.’ Alex’s voice was like her touch – soft and warm.

She followed the instructions and immediately regretted doing so. Alex had beautiful eyes and Maggie could do nothing but hope to god that her own pupils hadn’t dilated or that her cheeks weren’t suddenly burning as hotly as she thought they were. Those few seconds that Alex held her face before drawing back felt like an eternity.

‘Okay. Follow my finger for me.’

Maybe Alex hadn’t noticed. Or, if she had, she was too nice to say anything. That seemed to be Alex though, nice and caring. She probably only stayed over because she felt guilty, not because she genuinely wanted to be friends, never mind anything more.

‘Maggie?’

Maggie blinked back to reality. ‘Sorry?’

‘You okay? You seemed a little out of it there.’

‘No, no, I’m good.’ _Good_ along with a whole bunch of other feelings.

Alex’s laugh was small and undeniably cute. ‘Alright, now you’re back on planet earth, follow my finger for me.’

‘Okay.’

It was a very quick examination and one that ended with a smile. ‘You seem fine but take the day off.’

‘Is that an order or a suggestion?’

Alex went to grab her jacket. ‘An order,’ she said firmly.

‘Bossy.’

‘Wouldn’t want people to think you’re obsessed with work now, would you?’ _Sassy_.

Maggie couldn’t help but grin. ‘I’ll call in sick.’

‘Good’ Alex was already at the door, already slipping the chain and undoing the lock. ‘I wrote my number down for you. Call me if you need anything.’ She had one foot out the door.

Maggie forced herself to call after her, to not miss this opportunity. ‘Alex?’

Alex turned back.

‘Are you free tonight?’

‘I’m not, no.’

Maggie’s heart sank.

‘Kara’s been bugging me to go see this stupid film with her.’

‘ _Kara_?’

‘My sister,’ Alex elaborated. ‘I’m free tomorrow though?

‘You wanna come by?’

Alex smiled. ‘Sure.’

/ / /

For the next thirty-six hours, they texted periodically. Alex started the exchange, asking after a couple of hours how she was.

A part of Maggie selfishly wanted to stay she had taken a turn for the worse so Alex would come rushing back and examine her with those soft and gentle hands but she knew that she couldn’t do that, couldn’t take advantage of someone who had went out of her way to help. So she was honest because if anything was to come from this, she wanted it to be built on honesty and trust – two facets that had been missing from all her prior relationships.

**_MS: Hey! I’m feeling okay. Small headache but nothing that I can’t handle. Thank you for asking._ **

Her hand had hovered over the _X_ , wondering if that was too soon or too weird to send a kiss. She hit send and then felt utterly ridiculous. Friends sent kisses in texts, hell even casual acquaintances sometimes did as well.

This girl truly had her flustered.

She was also a prompt replier, replying within the minute.   

**_AD: Glad to hear. Sorry for rushing out this morning. I had to get to work but I also didn’t want to wake you._ **

**_MS: Don’t be silly. Thank you for staying with me and for the breakfast. It’s really appreciated._ **

**_AD: Anytime x._ **

That small _x_ made her smile like a fool, and she made sure to use it later that evening when she bit the bullet and was next to text.

**_MS: How was the film? x_ **

**_Also, what was the film?_ **

**_AD: God awful._ **

**_It was that weepy time-travelling rom-com that came out last week._ **

**_Kara bawled her eyes out when the boyfriend died the end._ **

**_MS: Ummmmm…spoilers?_ **

**_AD: Shit._ **

**_Sorry._ **

**_I didn’t think they were your sort of films._ **

**_MS: They’re not._ **

**_Just messing with you, Danvers._ **

**_AD: Ha you’re funny. Not x_ **

The texts stopped until midday the following day.

**_AD: Is 7 a good time to come round?_ **

**_MS: 7 is perfect_ **

**_AD: Great!_ **

**_I was thinking of bringing pizza. Any toppings you prefer or absolutely hate?_ **

**_MS: I like any kind of pizza. Whatever you want :)_ **

**_AD: Really?_ **

**_Even pineapple?!_ **

**_MS: Especially pineapple._ **

**_AD: You’re a freak._ **

Maggie clocked off at 5 and spent an hour and a half freaking out about what she should wear, before saying a mental _fuck it_ and changing out of her work clothes into something much more comfortable.

There was a knock at the door mere seconds after it turned seven. Alex’s promptness made her somewhat hesitant as she took in the baggy academy t-shirt and soccer shorts. ‘Am I too early?’

Essentially, she was in her pyjamas but Maggie saw little point in dressing up for a pizza night at her apartment. And, besides, it wasn’t as if the pyjama look was something that Alex hadn’t seen before. ‘Not at all. Come in,’ she smiled as she stepped back and allowed Alex and her three pizza boxes to enter.

‘I think I may have brought too much pizza but you can blame that on my sister being an alien garbage disposal. I can never figure out how much pizza normal people eat.’

‘ _Alien_?’ Weird word choice.

Alex let out a small laugh as she placed the boxes down on the kitchen island. ‘Well, that girl’s appetite is certainly not human, that’s for damn sure.’ She produced a large bottle of _7UP_ from her shoulder bag. ‘I also brought soda because I don’t think you should be drinking yet, not if you’re still having headaches.’

‘Um.’

Alex raised a brow as she spotted the empty glass next to a bottle by the sink. ‘Is that Scotch?’

‘Indeed it is.’ It was also liquid courage for the evening, but she’d be damned if she’d admit it.

‘Well, you have good taste that’s for sure.’

 _God, this girl was perfect._ ‘You wanna grab some glasses and take all this over to the couch?’

‘Sure,’ Alex smiled, remembering what cupboard they were in, grabbing two and following Maggie over. ‘You go to work, today?’

‘Sure did but, don’t worry, I took it easy.’ And by _easy_ she meant paperwork, only because her captain refused to let her out on patrol two days after taking a knock to the head. ‘What about you? Any more snipers after you?’

‘Not today,’ she said with a small grin that faded as she reached for a slice of pepperoni pizza. ‘Do you want to know what that was all about?’

‘Isn’t that classified?’

‘Yes, but if I tell you and it gets leaked then it’ll be very easy to find the source and have you arrested for treason.’

‘Now I’m not sure I want to know.’

Alex laughed and continued anyway. ‘The sniper was a rogue Daxamite. He crashed to Earth, we recovered his pod but he broke out of the DEO and then decided, for whatever reason, that we were the bad guys. That alien that I followed and, regrettably, killed--.’

‘Brian,’ Maggie couldn’t help but interject. ‘His name was Brian.’

Alex gave a solemn nod. ‘The Daxamite set Brian up. Used him as bait to lure DEO agents out.’

Knowing Brian as she had, that made sense. ‘Huh…but aren’t Daxamites vulnerable to lead? Shooting bullets doesn’t seem like the smartest idea.’

‘Did I ever say he was a smart Daxamite?’ She let out a small moan as she took her first bite, before politely covering her mouth as she spoke. ‘You really know your stuff, don’t you?’

‘I’m not just some dumb local cop, you know.’

‘No,’ Alex smiled. ‘No, you most certainly are not.’

/ / /

The longer the night went on, the more confused Maggie felt.

A movie played on the television but they paid little attention to it, chatting instead and getting to know each other.

Alex was twenty-eight, had one sister and had worked for the DEO for four years. She was incredibly smart too, with a PhD in bioengineering and had originally intended on becoming a doctor before working for the government. Beautiful, caring and intelligent? Maggie was falling harder for her by the second.

Then the focus shifted on Maggie and she offered her redacted life story. Non-straight girl from a small town in Nebraska – she moved out of town for college and never looked back. She talked about working for the science division and then moved to talk about her recent dating history, hoping that it would prompt Alex to do the same, to offer an answer to the question that lingered heavily on Maggie’s mind – _was she gay_? However, it hadn’t - the only thing that Alex said was that she didn’t date much.

The frustration was excruciating but Maggie felt reluctant to ask. Maybe if they’d known each other longer than two days she would’ve, but otherwise it was none of her business and she didn’t want it to seem like she was angling.

And she wasn’t angling, truly. However, as the night went on, the closer they got. They were sat so close on the couch that every now and then their thighs touched. They shared childhood anecdotes with Maggie’s, again, being selective. They grew so in sync that they even reached for the remote at the same time when the credits rolled.

‘Sorry.’ Their faces were so close, Alex’s breath tickled Maggie’s skin as she spoke. ‘It’s your house, you should choose.’ Although, she made no effort to relinquish her hold on the remote.

‘Don’t be silly, you’re the guest.’ The guest with the gorgeous eyes, eyes that flicked down to Maggie’s lips.

 _That had to be a sign_.

Maggie went for it.

Alex’s lips were soft, so was the way in which her hands landed on Maggie’s elbows. The kiss lasted a few seconds, before Alex pulled away, a faint smile on her lips that disappeared as quickly as things had happened. ‘Wow,’ she said in a near whisper.

Lost for words at how perfect that kiss felt, at how Alex’s lips felt like home, Maggie could only stammer. ‘T-that…that was okay, right?’

‘Yeah I,’ Alex swallowed hard, her eyes wide and unable to meet Maggie’s. ‘That was great, I just, uh. I've never done… _that_ before. I’m not, you know…gay.’

 _Shit_. The admission felt like a punch to the heart, followed up by a kick to the face. ‘Oh god, I’m so sorry, I--.’

‘No, no, don’t apologise,’ Alex said, quickly getting to her feet. ‘I, uh, should go. It’s late.’

‘Alex, I’m sorry.’ She was, she truly was for so many different reasons.

‘Thank you for inviting me over, and thank you, again, for saving my life but I have go. Thank you.’ The door slammed shut behind her.

Maggie sank back into the couch and covered her face with her hands as she let out a long sigh. ‘ _Fuck_.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh...thoughts?? x


	4. Chapter 4

A bottle of Scotch lulled her to sleep.

It wasn’t a good idea but it certainly wasn’t the worst decision she had made within the last twelve hours. A hangover would be gone after a little while. The embarrassment over kissing Alex would haunt her forever.

She snuck into work an hour late, expecting a stern telling off that didn’t come. It was another quiet day in National City, much to her chagrin. A case would help distract her from her pit of humiliation and self-pity - instead she had to sit and wallow in it as hours crawled by.

Her lunch hour was spent in the gym, beating the shit out of a heavy bag before she returned to her desk. She set about eating the salad she brought from home as she started back on paperwork. After one mouthful of soggy lettuce, a uniform offered her a reprieve.

‘Hey Sawyer. There’s a Fed waiting for you in reception. Says its urgent.’

A Fed? Maybe the day was going to pick up after all. Maggie tossed her pen across her desk and got up to go. She took the elevator instead of the stairs. If she had taken the stairs, the two flights down would have given her enough time to remember, to prepare, to possibly run and never look back. Instead, she only remembered when the reception came into sight. And that _Fed_ , albeit a phony, had seen her.

She could feel the crimson creeping into her cheeks more and more with every step she took, but she tried her hardest to smile and meet Alex in the eye. ‘Hey.’

Alex smiled back. ‘Is there somewhere we could talk? Privately?’

/ / /

They made awkward small talk as they made their way to Callaghan’s, the preferred cop bar opposite the precinct. Maggie ushered Alex over to a booth in a quiet corner of the bar, before she ordered two club sodas.

‘I wish this was Scotch,’ Alex mused as she took a big gulp from her glass.

‘I feel you,’ Maggie replied, although she had drunk more than enough last night. ‘You know, I’ll be honest, I never expected to see you again. Not after I stupidly--.’

‘No, no, don’t,’ Alex said firmly. ‘Don’t say that, and don’t apologise because you have done nothing wrong.’

‘I kissed you.’ And then Alex left because she wasn’t gay and it was all one horrifically mortifying mistake. That was what happened. Maggie should know, she had replayed it over and over in her head _._

‘That…that wasn’t wrong, Maggie. It definitely didn’t feel wrong.’ Alex’s voice became quieter and her eyes, those gorgeous eyes, looked anywhere but at Maggie. ‘I, uh, I think I like you.’

Maggie’s heart leaped from the depths it had sunk to. She went to say something but Alex beat her to it.

‘I mean, I _know_ I like you but I, I’ve never thought that I, that I liked girls, you know? I thought I liked guys.’

Now Maggie was starting to understand, at least a little, the look of panic in those eyes last night that followed the slight, but unmissable, smile. ‘Liking me doesn’t mean that you can’t like guys either.’

‘I’m not really sure that I like guys.’ The admission was so quiet, it was almost inaudible. Then Alex cleared her throat and it was obvious that she was willing herself to elaborate. ‘I mean I’ve dated guys, quite a few, but I’ve always, I don’t know, felt distant? Like I wasn’t feeling what I was supposed to feel. And they were nice guys, and everything, everything was consensual but I…I never really liked it. Handholding, kissing…sex, I never liked it. I’ve never liked being intimate and I just thought, you know, maybe that wasn’t my thing, that wasn’t how I was built. But last night…’

Asking felt somewhat pretentious but Alex had fallen silent and her eyes had fallen to the ground. Maggie had to ask, not to fuel her ego, but to continue the conversation. This very important conversation. ‘You liked it?’

Alex nodded shyly and, after a few seconds, proceeded. ‘I haven’t stopped thinking about it, or about you or about so, so many little moments in my life that I just pushed aside… _feelings_ that I pushed aside.’

‘You can talk to me. If you want.’ She reached across the table to rest a hand on Alex’s forearm.

Alex placed hers on top. It was clammy and the breath she took before she spoke was shaky. ‘There was a girl that I went to school with. Vicky, Vicky Donoghue. We were best friends and I, I always loved sleeping over at her house…in her room and…and in her bed and I, I think I felt something then. And then last night I…I _definitely_ felt something.’

The corners of Maggie’s mouth twitched. She fought back the smile, knowing that it would be wrong to revel in the fact that this girl, this beautiful, smart and tough girl, liked her when this beautiful, smart and tough girl was also currently questioning everything she thought she knew. So she said nothing, let Alex carry on and carry on in her own time, never forcing her.

‘And it scares me.’

‘Why?’ Maggie asked gently.

Alex shrugged. ‘It’s new, I guess? And I’m nearly thirty, shouldn’t I have all this figured out by now?’

Maggie shook her head. ‘Not at all. We all figure things out at our own pace. It’s human, Alex. And you are not alone.’

Alex smiled, gently grasping the hand beneath hers. She nodded down at the small form of intimacy, a form of intimacy that, just minutes ago, she said she never really liked. ‘I like this.’

‘I do too.’ Maggie did, even despite the sweatiness of it all, something that they were both equally to blame for. Her hands became even more moist as she summoned up the courage to take this, whatever _this_ was, that step further. ‘How about we go on a date? See how things go?’

Alex’s eyes lit up. ‘I’d like that.’

‘Tomorrow?

‘Yeah.’

Maggie grinned. ‘Do you like Italian?’

‘I love Italian.’

The more they got to know each other, the more suited they seemed for each other. ‘I know a place.’

‘That sounds--.’ Alex was cut off by her phone. She glanced at the screen and grimaced. ‘It’s work, hang on. _Danvers_.’

Maggie clasped her now free hands together, and waited patiently for the call to end, even though she had a good inkling of how it was going to end.

And she was right. ‘I have to go,’ Alex sighed.

‘No problem. I’ll make a reservation at that place and text you the details?’

‘Yeah,’ Alex smiled as she stood. ‘Thank you for, uh, listening.’

Maggie returned it. ‘Anytime. See you tomorrow.’

‘I look forward to it.’ Alex turned to go but made a sharp, and shaky one-eighty. The question fell out of her mouth. ‘Can I kiss you again?’

_Yes_ , Maggie thought. _Oh my god, yes._

However, Alex misinterpreted her stunned silence and started to ramble. ‘If that’s okay? So that I’m not, you know, like imagining it? Only if you--.’

‘I do want, Alex.’

The second Maggie stood, Alex went for it. And it was infinitely better than the first time. It was soft, it was tender, it was magic, and it left Maggie lost for words when Alex pulled away, because she had to go. ‘I’m definitely not imagining it,’ she said with a small laugh.

‘Neither am I.’

‘See you tomorrow night?’ Alex beamed.

‘Absolutely. Now go. Go save the world or whatever it is that you need to do.’

Alex hurried off but the kiss would stay vividly with Maggie for the rest of the day, if not for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting so many lovely comments on this fic and I appreciate them all. Again, let me know your thoughts if you have a second!


	5. Chapter 5

So much for best laid plans.

A part of her knew, _knew_ that she should’ve called earlier. Yet, there had also been a part of her that had been overly optimistic. It had been three hours since the 911 call, no progress had been made and the same lines had been repeated over and over again. It was a stalemate and, more often than not, the bad guys would have come to their senses by this point. Surrender peacefully now and have the chance of freedom down the line. Don’t, and they could kiss that all but goodbye. It shouldn’t have been a difficult decision. However, for these sons of bitches, it was.

Stupidity at its fine. Not to mention highly inconsiderate.

‘Alex, hey,’ Maggie said as she finally got through, on her third time of calling.

_‘I’m just out of the shower. Don’t worry, I’ll make it in plenty of time.’_

‘Yeah about that…’

The joy in Alex’s tone disappeared. _‘Is something wrong?’_

Maggie sighed. ‘There’s a hold-up at National City Bank. The assholes are armed and don’t have any intention of letting the hostages go. I’ve been here since three o’clock.’

_‘I thought you were Science Division? Is it aliens?’_

‘Worse, humans. They’ve slashed police budgets so much recently, I was the only trained hostage negotiator on duty when it happened. And I’m stuck here either until they surrender, which is unlikely, or the night shift guy gets here in four hours.’ She let out another sigh, this one even sadder than the first. ‘I’m so sorry, but unless there’s a miracle within the next thirty minutes, I’m not going to make our date.’

The other end of the line was silent.

‘Alex, I’m so sorry--.’

_‘Hey, it’s not your fault.’_

‘I know, I know, I was just really looking forward to tonight.’ Their first date, at some fancy ass restaurant. It was going to have been perfect. _Damn this stupid city_.

_‘Me too. But the night isn’t over yet. Miracles do happen. And if they don’t, you can always swing by mine for a little while if you get off at ten. I’ve got beer.’_

‘Well, I do need a beer,’ Maggie muttered. ‘I need to go. I’ll call you if anything changes.’

‘Sure.’ There was a smile in Alex’s voice. ‘Talk to you soon.’

Maggie pocketed her phone and strolled over to the Sergeant who had, not so subtly, been eavesdropping.

‘How did he take it?’

She shot him a look. ‘What?’

‘Alex. Your boyfriend. Sounded like you two had big plans.’

‘Girl,’ she corrected as she reached for the phone in his grasp. ‘And the last time I checked, it was none of your business.’

The robbers’ number was on speed dial. They answered after a sole ring. ‘Detective Sawyer. Are you now willing to let us leave?’

‘You know that I can’t do that.’ She spoke calmly, despite every fibre of her being wanting to yell every profanity down the phone. ‘And you also know what the best case scenario is for everyone involved. You surrender, without any problem and you--.’ She was cut off by gasps around her.

_‘Up there!’_

_‘Look!’_

Then came a loud crash and a crumble of preserved brick.

And, fifteen seconds later, _Supergirl_ came bounding out of the bank to applause, grasping a robber tightly in each hand.

_Of course she did_.

Maggie approached her. ‘ _Supergirl_.’

_Supergirl_ extended a hand. ‘Maggie, right?’

The hand went ignored. ‘It’s _Detective Sawyer_ , and you should know that since you probably listened in on police radio, yet again.’

‘It’s also on the news,’ the girl with the red cape said as she pointed over to one of a handful of TV trucks. ‘There’s another bad guy inside but the hostages are all okay.’

Maggie nodded.

_Supergirl_ smiled. ‘Well, I’ve done my job. Enjoy your night, Detective Sawyer.’ And with that, she took off into the night sky.

It hadn’t been her first encounter with the Girl of Steel and it would, no doubt, not be her last either. Yet as frustrating as it was to have someone quite literally swoop in under your nose and do your job for you, at least it meant one thing.

‘Hey Alex,’ she smiled as her date picked up. ‘I guess dinner’s happening after all.’

/ / /

Taking the perps to booking and signing off on some paperwork left little time to go home and change. Instead, she gussied up her appearance in the station locker room. She let her hair down from its ponytail, allowing her natural curls to flow freely and switched her motorcycle boots for a pair of wedges that she stored in her locker. Combined with her dark purple blouse, black skinny jeans and favourite leather jacket, it wasn’t a bad look.

However, it paled considerably in comparison to Alex, who sat at their table for two with her hair straightened and in a figure-hugging black dress and matching heels. _Gorgeous_ didn’t even begin to do her justice.

Maggie was so caught up apologizing for being late, that she forgot even a small kiss on the cheek as she took her seat opposite at the candle-lit table. ‘This job, I _hate_ it sometimes.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ Alex smiled. ‘Being a cop is a great job. You make a difference in this world.’

‘Yeah,’ Maggie scoffed. ‘We work our asses off for hours on end, only for someone to swoop in, potentially jeopardizing hours of hard work, and then save the day and take all the glory. I didn’t get so much as even a _thank you_ for today.’ Not that she ever became a cop for the glory but it was the principle. She’d spent hours at that crime scene, hours navigating difficult conversation with armed robbers. All that hard work, all those careful words suddenly ceased meaning anything the second the Girl of Steel soared through the sky.

Alex, however, seemingly was unaware and seemingly hadn’t caught the news coverage that _Supergirl_ had dominated. She looked confused.

Maggie elaborated. ‘ _Supergirl_ turned up.’

‘ _Oh_.’

‘And now the sons of bitches who held over a dozen people hostage can use the _Supergirl defence_.’

Again, confusion. ‘ _The Supergirl defence_?’

‘It’s a thing some criminals use to get their charges dropped. It’s the perfect storm for a defence attorney: excessive force, evidence contaminated by debris, vigilante justice--.’

‘ _Vigilante justice_?’

‘She’s well-meaning, sure. But she’s hella reckless. She broke a guy’s arm and gave another one a concussion. Not to mention that she knocked in the roof of a National City landmark--.’ She stopped herself as she felt herself grow angry. This wasn’t the time. ‘Shit, I’m sorry. This is our first date and, here I am, ranting about work.’ Her ex was right. She was obsessed with work.

Alex offered a kind smile. ‘It’s okay.’

‘It’s not okay, Alex,’ Maggie said firmly. ‘I haven’t even told you how beautiful you look tonight.’

Crimson crept into Alex’s cheeks and became even more noticeable as Maggie leaned forward to take her hand.

‘So let me tell that you, Alex Danvers,’ she paused only to place her lips on her date’s hand. ‘Are a vision.’ A vision that Maggie still couldn’t quite believe was interested in her.

Although Alex seemed completely unaware of her beauty, deflecting immediately. ‘You’re not so bad yourself,’ she said shyly.

‘Please I haven’t had time to change.’

‘You don’t need to.’ Alex’s response was even shier than the first.

And then it fell back to Maggie to blush and, she knew that they could go at this all night, exchanging nervous compliments back and forth so she tenderly kissed Alex’s knuckles again before reaching for the menu. ‘You _need_ to try the paella.’

/ / /

They talked, they laughed and they officially decided to give this thing a go. Alex was so excited to use the word _girlfriend_ , that she had bounced in her chair.

Maggie had felt exactly the same, smiling as she held her girlfriend’s hand after she insisted on walking her home. They were dating and Alex Danvers was her girlfriend. Life suddenly looked a lot more promising. However, there was still something that had to be addressed and Maggie waited until they were standing outside of Alex’s apartment to begin to broach the subject. ‘Can I come in?’

Alex looked a little surprised.

Maggie sensed where her mind had headed. ‘Not for _that._ I want to talk about something which, I promise, isn’t as ominous as it sounds.’

‘Sure,’ Alex nodded.

Alex’s open-planned apartment was nice, although it was immaculately tidy to the extent that it didn’t look lived in, like it was a showroom with a handful of family photographs to add character. Maggie picked one of them up and smiled at it. It was of Alex and younger looking blonde girl with glasses. ‘Is this Kara?’

‘Yeah. That was from last Christmas.’

‘I noticed the sweaters,’ Maggie laughed, looking at the picture one last time before putting it back down on the coffee table. Kara looked familiar. ‘What does she do?’

‘She’s a reporter at CatCo,’ Alex replied as she sat on the couch, leaning forward to grab the magazine that was beside the frame. She flicked through it, stopping roughly around the midpoint. ‘She wrote this article about Lena Luthor.’

Maggie took the offered magazine and skimmed it. ‘Impressive…she’ll be giving Clark Kent a run for his money soon.’

‘What?’ Alex’s voice was weirdly serious.

Maggie arched a brow. ‘Clark Kent? You know the guy from _The Daily Planet_?’

Alex shook her head.

‘He’s been all over the news recently for winning some big journalism award or something.’

‘Oh okay. I don’t really pay attention to stuff like that. I’m sure Kara will know though, and I’ll tell her as that sounds like a pretty big compliment.’

‘It is,’ Maggie placed the issue back on the table. ‘Actually, it’s Kara that I wanted to talk about.’

‘Kara?’ Alex said, somewhat hesitantly.

‘Yeah…you guys seem really close and, if you’re not comfortable with doing so then that’s perfectly fine, but I think you should tell her.’

‘That I’m…gay?’

Maggie nodded. ‘I know it’s all still new to you, but have you thought about telling her?’

‘I…uh, I have but, I’ll admit, I don’t even know how to bring that sort of thing up? How…how did you come out?’

_Painfully_. This time she couldn’t offer a redacted version. She had to lie. _Had_ to. ‘My parents always suspected, I think. When I told them I was gay, they weren’t overly surprised.’

‘And they were okay with it?’

‘Yeah.’ _Another lie_. ‘And my dad isn’t exactly known for his open-mindedness.’ _At least that was true._ She entwined her fingers with Alex’s. ‘Coming out can seem scary, and at times it can seem like an endless process coming out to different people, but remember - anyone who acts weird about it isn’t worth your time.’

‘I know that.’

‘Do you _believe_ it?’

‘Sorry?’

‘There’s a difference between _knowing_ and _believing_. I need you to _believe_ that people like that aren’t worth losing sleep over. They’re assholes and, sadly, there’s always gonna be some out there. And they ain’t worth shit.’ She squeezed Alex’s hand. ‘Listen, I know I don’t know your sister but she sounds like a great person. You should tell her. This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to you and you shouldn’t have to do it alone.’

‘I have you.’

‘Yeah, you do. And I’ll be good for a second date when you come out.’

‘Promise?’

‘Promise,’ Maggie smiled. ‘I had a great night tonight. And now I also have a gorgeous girlfriend.’

Alex beamed as she said that word again. ‘Girlfriend.’

‘Sounds good, doesn’t it?’

‘It sounds perfect.’

Maggie leaned forward for a long, slow kiss and revelled in how right Alex’s lips always felt. She smiled widely as she drew back. ‘I need to go. Thank you for a lovely evening.’ She stood, her hand reaching out to caress Alex’s face one more time. ‘Let me know how it goes with Kara. I’m one call away if you need me.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and thoughts are always appreciated!! x


	6. Chapter 6

Kara was okay with her sister’s revelation and Maggie was not at all surprised.

In the little time that she’d known Alex, she got the impression that she came from a good home and that the Danvers were nothing like the Sawyers. Therefore, the Danvers, like most human beings with the tiniest fraction of a heart, didn’t give a damn about their loved ones’ sexualities and would love them regardless.

Sadly, the Sawyers could never relate.

Nevertheless, the texts Alex sent made Maggie smile. Her coming out experience – albeit the first of many – was good like it should have been, and Maggie was glad that she wasn’t rejected and tossed to the side like garbage as quickly as she had, nearly two decades ago.

**AD: I told Kara!**

**MS: She take it okay?**

**AD: Yeah.**

**A little surprised but totally great.**

**I knew she’d be fine with it though, I don’t know why I was scared.**

**We’re hanging out tonight if you wanna join us? X**

**MS: Happy for you, Alex! And PROUD of you too x**

Her fingers hovered as she considered the offer. Meeting family after mere days? It seemed quick but, then again, she wasn’t getting any younger. She liked Alex, why should she wait ages before all the formalities?

**And yeah, I’d love to.**

/ / /

The youngest Danvers sibling was even more strikingly familiar in the flesh.

She was also a hugger and pulled Maggie in for the biggest hug within seconds. ‘Nice to meet you,’ Kara said in what felt like the world’s tightest embrace. That girl was deceptively strong.

‘Nice to meet you too,’ Maggie smiled back before deciding to ask, just in case. ‘Stupid question but have we met before?’

Kara laughed. ‘Not that I’m aware of. I’m a law-abiding citizen, after all.’

Alex nodded. ‘Once she forgot to pick up her trash in the park and felt so guilty about it. She was convinced that she was a fugitive.’

The serious expression on both the Danvers’ faces verified the anecdote.

‘Well,’ Maggie grinned. ‘I’m with the Science Division, most often on alien related cases so we should be good.’

‘Yeah,’ Kara laughed for a few seconds longer than what felt normal. ‘We’re good.’

Alex narrowed her eyes. ‘Hey have you been drinking already?’

Kara claimed she hadn’t as she ushered them over to the kitchen island where she cracked open a bottle of wine. The two sisters made small talk with each other. Their bond was strong, proof that family was much more than just blood.

Not wanting to interrupt, Maggie waited until there was a lull in their conversation before she spoke. ‘I read your article with Lena Luthor. Very impressive.’

‘Thank you. That means a lot, actually. I’m still new to the whole reporting thing.’

‘Really? I didn’t get that impression.’

Kara blushed as she turned to Alex. ‘I like her.’

‘I’m just being honest,’ Maggie said before she took a sip from her glass. ‘So, what did you do before reporting?’

Alex answered for her sister. ‘She was an assistant to a certain Ms Cat Grant.’

‘Yikes,’ Maggie grimaced. ‘Is she as bad as people say she is?’

‘She kept calling her Kiera.’

‘Don’t,’ Kara wagged a finger. ‘I never want to hear that name again. But, the whole _Keira_ ,’ she shivered as she said it, ‘debacle, and the fact that she wasn’t the easiest person to work for, aside, she’s very admirable.’

With a shit-eating grin, Alex patted Maggie’s arm. ‘It literally got to the stage where I’d call her Keira and she’d respond to it.’

Maggie laughed as she imagined it. ‘Wiseass, aren’t you? Don’t worry, Kara. I’ll always call you by your actual name. Unless there’s any other name that you go by?’

For some reason, Kara froze, her hand holding the wine bottle in mid-air at a slight angle. ‘I…uh…no?’

‘Okay?’ Slightly strange, although she did look slightly traumatised from the _Keira_ reminiscing. ‘Kara it is then.’

/ / /

They took the wine over to the couch and found a channel showing old sitcom episodes.

Kara went out of her way to be accommodating, sitting on a cushion on the floor and allowing them the whole couch. At first Alex had seemed somewhat hesitant, nervous perhaps because she wasn’t used to the whole intimacy thing, but a gentle hand around her waist reassured her.

‘Cuddle me?’ Maggie had whispered, managing to surprise even herself at how cutesy and soft she was getting around this girl. She had never been much of a cuddler either, she could never get fully comfortable doing it. Yet when Alex had slowly nestled into her side, clinging onto her like some koala, she had never felt more relaxed or at peace. She placed a kiss on the top of Alex’s head and whispered to her again. ‘This feels nice.’

She was certain her words were so quiet that they were borderline inaudible, yet Kara still turned around and beamed. ‘Aw.’

Heat radiated from Alex’s cheeks.

Maggie smiled and held her tighter, never wanting to let go as they sat in comfortable silence.

That was until Kara’s phone buzzed and Kara jumped about ten feet in the air. _God forbid they ever watch a horror movie together_.

‘Oh shoot,’ Kara sighed as she glanced at the screen.

Alex who had been slipping within the reaches of sleep sat up a little. ‘Everything okay?’

‘Work emergency.’

Alex sat up a little more until her sister elaborated.

‘Minor emergency. Only I’m needed.’

‘Breaking news?’ Maggie asked, arching a brow as her girlfriend eased back into her arms.

‘Um, yeah, kinda,’ Kara spluttered as she grabbed her keys and phone and dashed to the door. ‘I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.’

‘See you,’ Alex mumbled into Maggie’s shirt.

The door slammed shut.

Maggie ran fingers through Alex’s hair. ‘Your sister works too hard.’

‘Way too hard.’

‘It must run in the family,’ Maggie mused. ‘It’s not even nine yet and you’re falling asleep on me. Long day of top-secret alien hunting?’

Alex shook her head. ‘I didn’t even leave the DEO. I was helping train the new recruits. I spent the whole afternoon sparring.’

‘Is there anything you can’t do?’

‘I can’t play a musical instrument. I tried in high school but they said I didn’t have any rhythm.’

Maggie smiled. ‘And there was me thinking that you were perfect.’ Nobody was perfect, after all, but if someone was to come close, she had a very strong inclination that it might be Alex Danvers. _Might_. It was still very early days, literal days, into their relationship. The earlier she started worshipping this girl, the more it was going to hurt when it inevitably ended in one of two ways – when Alex realises that she could find someone better or when she, Margaret Ellen Sawyer, fucks things up as always.

She had to make the most of it while she could.

‘Lucky for you, I was looking for a gorgeous, smart, badass girlfriend rather than a guitarist then, eh?’

A shy smile tugged at Alex’s lips. ‘What about you? You play anything?’

‘I know a few guitar chords. Or, I should say, I _knew_ a few guitar chords. It’s been a long time.’

‘Kara’s got a guitar, you should try and see if you remember any.’

‘Yeah, that’ll be--.’

_‘We interrupt this programming to bring you breaking news.’_

Maggie’s eyes flicked over to the TV screen, where the rerun of _The Big Bang Theory_ had been replaced by the local news. Two trucks had crashed on the interstate. One was on fire and the other was a tanker truck that was sitting precariously close to the flames.

Police and firemen were frantically ushering people away, doing their jobs with the utmost professionalism and bravery and then--.

 _Her_.

The flames were extinguished and within a minute she was in front of the cameras.

‘Ugh.’

Alex stirred from her near state of slumber. ‘What?’

‘It’s her.’

‘Who’s _her_?’

‘Look at the TV.’

 _Supergirl_ only remained on screen for a few more seconds before she shot off into the night sky to applause and cheers. ‘She saved the day, didn’t she? No one got hurt?’

‘And I’m glad everyone is okay but that’s not the point,’ Maggie sighed. ‘Look. Look at all those cops and firemen and EMTs in the background. Where are their headlines? I’m so sick of this, she didn’t even thank them. _Again_.’

Then Alex said something that took Maggie a little by surprise. ‘In her defence, she doesn’t ask for cameras to be shoved into her face.’

‘Don’t tell…you’re one of those _Supergirl_ groupies aren’t you?’ _Supergirl_ groupies were the worst. They clogged up crime scenes desperate for a glimpse of her. Okay, Alex probably never went anywhere to that sort of extent but still.

‘ _Supergirl?_ You mean a good alien? We’re all for those at the DEO.’

The DEO.

That night.

_‘Supergirl, I need you.’_

Followed by a faint recollection of flying.

Maggie had thought it had been the drugs that she’d been given after nearly being taken out by a sniper but now? ‘That night we met, when I nearly took that bullet for you…you called her, didn’t you? She works for the DEO, doesn’t she?’

Alex’s face said it all. Yet she still tried with the usual spiel. ‘That’s--.’

‘Classified, I know. But I’m not stupid. For god’s sakes, I’m a detective, I--.’

She was cut off by the sound of the front door swinging open and a very windswept Kara returning. ‘False alarm, someone made it there before me.’

A windswept Kara, who Maggie now knew _exactly_ who she looked like. Who she was.

‘—detect,’ Maggie finally finished before sighing. ‘You have got to be kidding me.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support and kind words! As always, would love to know your thoughts on this chapter if you have a sec x


	7. Chapter 7

It made sense as to why Kara had seemed so goddamn familiar, as to why a government official like Alex would be such a staunch supporter of an alien wreaking havoc on city buildings and, as to why _Supergirl_ had kept showing up this past week.

‘You’re _Supergirl_ aren’t you?’

Kara could try as much as she wanted to refute the claim but windswept with her hair in a hastily put together ponytail, and for all those other reasons, it would be pointless. So she didn’t try.

Instead it was Alex that tried, trying to play the accusation off with a small laugh. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘C’mon, Alex. The way you defended her? You’re either a _Supergirl_ groupie or you know her.’ The thought of Alex unironically decked out in _Supergirl_ merchandise was simply absurd. ‘Plus, the glasses don’t help.’

‘I told you they were ridiculous,’ Alex hissed at her sister, confirming what nobody in the room could deny. Her gaze returned to Maggie. ‘I’m sorry, I never wanted there to be secrets between us and I promise you that I would’ve told you, it’s just…you know?’

‘It’s okay. I get that it’s not exactly first date material. I’m…surprised, you know? It’s not even the whole alien part either, I mean I’ve _dated_ aliens--.’

‘You’ve dated aliens?’

‘A few.’ _Dated_ was a relative term but it didn’t matter. It had never mattered what planet a girl had come from, they had never stayed in her life long. ‘Regardless, she’s _Supergirl_. Your sister is a celebrity--.’

The term made Kara laugh and beam. ‘I mean I have been on a few magazine covers but I’d hardly say--.’

‘And I hate her,’ Maggie finished, wiping the smile right off her girlfriend’s alien sister.

‘What?’ There was hurt and confusion in Kara’s voice so Maggie nodded to the couch, gestured for Kara to sit beside her so she could explain.

‘Not you, Kara. Well, technically, _you_ , and technically I don’t _hate_ you…more like I’m not a fan of your methods. And that’s putting it nicely because, and I mean this, there are a lot of people that I work with, who absolutely hate you.’ In the weeks that had followed _Supergirl’s_ first appearance in National City, a few of her colleagues had taken it upon themselves to stick a picture of her on the dartboard in the cop bar. Maggie had torn it down disgusted but, sadly, not surprised at the actions of some of the men that she worked with. Was she ever a fan of _Supergirl_? Never. Yet she, Kara, was a young woman still worthy of respect. ‘Cops aren’t big fans of vigilante justice.’

‘Vigilante justice?’ Kara took offence at the term. ‘But I stand for hope and help and compassion. I do what I have to do.’

Maggie rested a hand on Kara’s forearm. ‘To them, and to me, you stand for recklessness. You have good intentions, yes, but when you get involved, cases get complicated. And then there’s the damage you cause.’ Her mind flashed back to last night, at the painful sight of a historic building crumbling. ‘Do you know how much the city is having to spend for your heroics at the bank last night?’

‘A couple of thousand?’

‘Try tens of thousands. _Wait_.’ Maggie remembered something else about last night – _Supergirl_ ’s oddly perfect timing. She turned to Alex. ‘Did you call her?’

Alex gave a small nod. ‘She probably would have found out about it sooner or later if I hadn’t. I just didn’t want us to have to cancel our date.’

‘That’s…sweet.’ Undeniably sweet and, suddenly, she regretted some of her rantings over dinner about the incident. Some, not all – there would have still been better ways for Kara to have intervened, ways that would not have resulted in partially destroying a National City landmark. She returned her attention to Kara. ‘Look, you do a good job. Just ask before you get involved? None of my colleagues will have a problem if you look before you leap. Or, in your case, fly.’

Kara nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll do that.’

‘Thank you,’ Maggie smiled. ‘Listen, it’s getting late so I’m gonna head home.’

Perhaps she should’ve expected Alex, a scientist, to over-analyse the otherwise benign statement. ‘Are we okay?’ She asked a little bit hesitantly, a little bit vulnerably.

‘I promise you, we are,’ Maggie reassured. ‘It’s just a lot to take in, that’s all. And c’mon, she’s Supergirl? That’s a pretty big bombshell and I’m not sure I can top _that_ conversational piece this evening.’

‘What?’ Alex laughed. ‘You _don’t_ have an alien in your family too? Your dad isn’t, say, an Infernian?’

Her dad was certainly something, but alien he was not. ‘Nope.’

‘Lame,’ Alex laughed again, before reaching for her sweater that she had thrown over the arm of the couch. ‘I’ll walk you home?’

/ / /

Nine was far from late for Maggie – she only needed six hours of sleep to function, so midnight was more often than not her bedtime. No, it wasn’t late – it was just awkward.

She was fine with Kara’s true identity. Truly, fine. She was just surprised and, well, a little uncomfortable, at least right now. She wasn’t as versed with Kryptonian capabilities as she was other aliens, but she did know some things about them. And their incredibly heightened senses? That was something Maggie was not fully comfortable around yet, not when this relationship was still very new and she was still nervous to whisper cutesy things to Alex, let alone have her sister hear them.

_Have Supergirl hear them_.

That would take some time getting used to so, instead, she made the lame excuse to leave as her gut correctly told her that Alex was the sort of gentlewoman that would offer to walk her home.

‘I’ve got beer if you want some?’ Maggie asked as her apartment block came into sight.

‘I thought you were tired?’

‘And I thought that I would spare your sister the awkwardness of having to thirdwheel us making out on her couch. That is, if you want?’

‘Beer or making out?’

‘Both. Either or. Or neither,’ Maggie grinned. ‘What do you say?’

‘Both sounds--.’

The sound of glass shattering, followed by a shrill car alarm cut Alex off. Duty came first and Maggie was already striding across the street to deal with the hooded thug. ‘Hey buddy, what the hell do you think you’re doing?’

He looked up and met her eyes.

‘NCPD, don’t--.’

_Move_. He took off.

Maggie did too. ‘Alex, do--.’

She was already following. ‘I’ve got your back. Do you want me to call Kara?’

‘Nah, we’ve got this.’

And they got him after a five-minute pursuit through streets and back-alleys that culminated in a dead-end. Alex wrestled him to the ground, whilst Maggie called for back-up.

‘You know, I don’t usually do well with partners,’ Maggie smiled as she returned to Alex after handing the wannabe carjacker to the officers that responded. ‘But I think we made a pretty good team.’

Alex who was leaning against a wall, smiled. ‘I hope so. We are dating after all.’

Maggie laughed. ‘Relationships and work aren’t always compatible…plus, I’m just not the biggest fan of partners.’

‘Don’t like sharing the glory?’

‘I never became a cop for the glory.’ If she had, she would have quit a long, long time ago. ‘No, but seriously. Thanks for the assist.’

Alex nodded. ‘Anytime. Would you like me to walk you home? Again?’

‘I think I can manage,’ Maggie said, appreciative of the offer as she pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss. ‘I’ll text you when I get in. Thanks for an interesting night.’

One more kiss before they parted. ‘You too.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But do they make a good team? Is their relationship and their work compatible? Will they ever get to make out on the couch? 
> 
> As always, thoughts are appreciated!! x


	8. Chapter 8

They’d been dating for two weeks and, already, Maggie couldn’t imagine her life without Alex Danvers in it.

They’d become inseparable, texting each other constantly and spending at least every other evening together at the bar or at one of their apartments.

That night, a coin toss had brought them to Alex’s apartment. Empty beer bottles and a half-eaten pizza sat on the coffee table in front of them, as a film played on the television. They’d stopped watching it a while ago, when Maggie’s hand on Alex’s thigh had reignited the restlessness that had been slowly growing in Alex over the past few weeks.

Alex had grinned then straddled her, initializing the make-out session.

Maggie was the one that brought it to a temporary halt, a palm placed against Alex’s chest. ‘Can we talk?’ She had to stop using that term, for it always provoked fear and panic.

‘Is everything okay?’ Alex asked, trying her hardest to mask the worry in her voice.

 _Damn that stupid phrase_. ‘Everything’s wonderful, I promise. I just…uh…’ Maggie tailed off and gestured vaguely with her hands. Alex got the message and backed off, allowing Maggie to sit up. ‘I want to take things further with you, I do but--.’

‘You don’t think I’m ready.’ It was a statement, not a question and there was sadness lacing the words.

Maggie immediately reached for Alex’s hands, taking them in hers and squeezing them. ‘No, absolutely not,’ she said, her voice firm because she didn’t want Alex to think that for one more second. There had never been any doubt in her mind about Alex’s readiness - the fault wasn’t with her. ‘This has nothing to do about this being your first time with a girl.’

A smile tugged at Alex’s lips before confusion set in. ‘Then what’s the problem?’

‘I…’ She took a deep breath, and went for it. ‘It’s not a problem, it’s just…I like you, Alex. I care about you, a lot, and I want to be happy with you. And I, uh, I just wanted you to know that before we took things further.’

‘That’s it?’

Maggie nodded. ‘That’s it.’

Alex beamed, her eyes looking teary in the dimly lit apartment before she went for a kiss that left Maggie breathless. ‘I feel the same.’

‘Good.’

‘Do you want to take things further tonight?’

The first night Maggie had sex with a girl, she’d been a nervous wreck – much like she was tonight. Therefore, she found Alex’s confidence incredibly sexy. ‘Yes,’ she nodded, again finding herself reduced to one word answers. _The Alex effect_.

And just like that, Alex was back on top of her, her lips moving along her jaw and then, slowly, down her neck. Her fingers made light work of the buttons on Maggie’s blouse as she continued to move south. She pulled back, only, to smile at the view. ‘God.’

Maggie felt her cheeks burn. ‘You like?’

Alex traced Maggie’s abs with a finger, entranced. ‘If I didn’t know I was gay before.’ She kissed each ab, causing Maggie’s skin to ripple out in gooseflesh and Maggie to have to stifle giggles because she, the badass police detective, was ticklish as hell – she didn’t want Alex to know that, not just yet because Alex would almost certainly use that against her.

She indulged Alex for a few more seconds before she did it again, brought proceedings to a pause with her hand. This time she spoke warmly and with a soft smile on her face, so that Alex didn’t have to worry that she had done anything wrong. ‘Hey.’

Her girlfriend looked at her, her eyes a mix of admiration and lust. ‘Yeah?’

‘This is a wonderful couch, but I think there’s more room on your bed.’

‘You’re right.’ Alex was off her, up on her feet and holding out a hand to pull Maggie to hers.

Maggie accepted before letting go, her hands moving to Alex’s thighs so she could hoist her up. ‘Oh baby,’ she whispered into Alex’s ear as she began carrying her over to the kingsize a few metres away where she would gently lay her down and begin to worship every inch of her body. ‘Tonight, I’m going to make you so, so much gayer.’

/ / /

The sun that filtered in through half-open blinds was warm on her bare back.

Memories of last night flashbacked to her. She smiled as she blindly reached out to find her cuddly – and incredibly sexy - girl who had somehow managed to break free from her grasp. However, Maggie’s hand met only air and bedsheets. 

She opened her eyes and sat up because Alex was…

…coming back from the kitchen with a glass of water. Maggie let out a small sigh of relief. That it was it. She hadn’t left, and she was wearing both the shirt that Maggie was wearing last night and a frown on her face. ‘Everything okay?’

Maggie nodded, breaking back out into a smile instead of whatever sad expression that had been brought on by waking up to an empty bed. ‘I thought you had gone.’ _It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time._

‘It’s my apartment, where would I have gone?’

‘Work?’ _Or just out of her life in general. Like everyone else. Again, not the first time._

Alex set her glass down on the bedside table as she crawled back under the duvet. ‘I don’t work Saturdays unless there’s giant purple monsters roaming the streets eating people. So, cross your fingers that they’ve either stayed on their own planets today, or they aren’t hungry,’ she said as she pulled Maggie close. She kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ve been waiting my whole life for that.’ Alex’s hold was strong, yet gentle and, although it would be a while before either of them uttered those words out loud, in Alex’s arms Maggie felt so loved.

She never wanted to be anywhere else but in those strong and gentle arms. She let out a content sigh as she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend’s waist. ‘I could tell.’ Last night had been special. They had been so in sync with each other, and Alex had made her feel a way that she had never felt before – again, it was that word, _loved_.

Alex was back at it with the head kisses, and it made Maggie’s heart flutter. ‘I think we’ve timed this pretty well, what with the whole no work thing.’

‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’ Maggie grinned into Alex’s warm side.

‘Round two?’

‘I think we’re well past round two.’ _The DEO training must be exceptional because Alex’s stamina had been something else._ ‘But, yeah.’

Alex placed a finger under Maggie’s chin to tilt her head up to her as her lips closed in. Then something, realization it seemed like, hit her and she twisted to grab her phone that was next to her glass of water. ‘ _Shit_.’

‘What?’ Maggie’s heart went from fluttering to pounding. This morning was perfect, she didn’t want it to end.

‘Nothing, it’s nothing,’ Alex mumbled as she quickly typed something before putting her phone back. ‘It’s sorted now. Continue.’

It pained her to do so, but she drew away from Alex’s advance. ‘No, tell me. What was it? It looked important.’

Her girlfriend sighed. ‘I had brunch plans with Kara.’

‘And you cancelled them?’

‘Kinda.’

‘ _Alex_.’

‘There’s always going to be another time for brunch, but there’s only going to be one first morning after with you.’ Alex’s hold tightened. ‘I want to enjoy every second of this.’

‘Okay,’ Maggie smiled as she rested her head on Alex’s chest and cuddled in close. ‘I just don’t want to come between you and Kara. You two have a special bond.’ And given how much time she had spent with Alex the past few weeks, she already felt like she was intruding.

‘I promise you that you won't,’

‘Okay, good. I don’t have the best track record when it comes to family.’ _Shit_. Growing comfortable with Alex meant letting her walls down which, in turn, meant oversharing.

‘How do you mean?’

‘I--.’ Now was _not_ the time. Nothing killed the mood more than divulging how her father was a raging homophobe who kicked his fourteen year old daughter out of the family home because she was a lesbian. She would tell her, of course, it just wasn’t the right time. So, she thought fast and came up with a suitable ruse. ‘I dated this girl and her sister hated me. Thought we were spending too much time together. That sort of thing.’

‘Oh okay. Well, I assure you that won’t be the case. Kara likes you.’

Maggie arched a brow. ‘Even after the whole _Supergirl_ debacle?’ That night had been awkward.

‘I think she respected you for being honest about how you felt,’ Alex said before shaking her head. ‘Anyway, enough talk about her, what do you want to do today?’

‘You.’

‘No,’ Alex rubbed Maggie’s back. ‘I asked _you_.’

Maggie laughed. ‘Think it through, Alex.’

‘I… _oh_.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Maggie slipped her hand under the stolen shirt and tracked up Alex’s abs. ‘ _That’s_ what I want to do today.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? x


	9. Chapter 9

The weekend had been perfect.

They didn’t leave Alex’s apartment - hell they had barely left Alex’s _bed_. They had sex, they cuddled, they ordered in for every meal and watched shitty movies. It was, _easily_ , the best weekend that Maggie had had in recent memory, if not ever.

Then on Monday, it was back to an altogether different kind of grind – work. And for Alex, an exceptionally busy week lay ahead, something that she already apologised profusely for. As always, she couldn’t go into too much detail, but she said it had something to do with discovering the location of a group of rogue aliens. The DEO planned to take as many in as possible. It could be a long week.

Maggie didn’t mind though. One, she understood and, two, she had just had the most amazing weekend with her and the memories of that would be more than enough to ease her through the next few days.

She found herself smiling periodically throughout the day and, at one point, was even called out on it – ‘You been shot with a love ray or something, Sawyer?’ Grisham, who knew full well of her new relationship, had remarked. Suddenly self-conscious, she had tried to fight the smile but it was futile and she allowed it, laughing and shrugging it off.

At three fifteen, she got a text from M’gann – M’gann M’orzz was a close friend, a bartender and a White Martian. She was also the only person that she had _really_ divulged details of her new romance to – nothing too intimate, because Maggie would never dare betray Alex’s trust like that, but more general things, such as where they went on dates and just, well, Alex in general. They were yet to meet but Maggie had a good feeling that they’d get along just fine.

**M’gann: Hey, your gf just turned up.**

Yet to meet, but M’gann had seen enough pictures of Alex to recognise her.

**Maggie: Where?**

**M’gann: The bar.**

**Maggie: Bar???**

M’gann worked at a bar which had a clientele of almost exclusively aliens. A safe haven for aliens and for outsiders in general, hence why Maggie had always felt so at home there, it was guarded by a safe word at the door. It was also the bar, outside of which, Alex had shot Brian dead.

Maggie’s stomach lurched as M’gann replied.

**M’gann: She needs to leave. A few of Brian’s friends are here. It’s not safe.**

The late Brian didn’t really have friends as such, just a few fellow aliens that liked to take advantage of the poor guy. One of them was an Infernian, if she remembered correctly, but regardless of their species, they were bad news. She called Alex’s number – it went straight to voicemail.

She pinged another text to M’gann before she grabbed her jacket.

**Maggie: I’m ten minutes away. Keep me updated.**

/ / /

She cut those ten minutes down to a just as painfully long seven, as she fired on the lights and siren and cruised through traffic, her heart pounding in her chest.

The alien bar may be a safe place for outsiders but it was just like any bar in any city in any country – there’d always be one or two bad eggs amongst an otherwise genuinely nice patronage. However, nobody except M’gann knew Alex, and they certainly didn’t know the full story with Brian’s death. They wouldn’t know that it had been a set-up, that Alex had genuinely believed that Brian was a threat and, thus, when he pulled on her, she had no choice but to put him down. They knew none of that – to them, _Alex_ was the threat.

Maggie slammed a fist against the iron door, gave the password – _Dollywood_ – and rushed in.

She got there just in time.

Alex was pinned against a wall by a much larger, and dangerous, man. Two equally as intimidating figures flanked him as Alex’s gun lay fallen on the ground a few metres away.

‘Leave her the hell alone,’ Maggie called out as she unholstered her own firearm.

The man did just that, relinquishing his tight grip on Alex’s neck. Alex slumped to the ground with a whimper as he turned. He had a knife in his right hand. ‘She killed one of us. Did you know that?’

‘Yes,’ Maggie said calmly. ‘I do know that, but I also know that it wasn’t her fault, or her intention. She was set up.’

‘You’re defending her?’ The man growled as he inched towards her, unfazed by the 9mm in her hands.

‘Yes, I am. And if you don’t put that knife away, I’ll have you arrested for threatening a police officer.’ Her eyes fell on the blade again, noticing something new now it was nearer. _Blood_. ‘Whose blood is that?’ She asked, even though she knew the answer.

He just shrugged. ‘She had to learn her lesson.’

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t take the bastard on. He was just too big, and had friends. All she could do was push past him and run to Alex’s side and immediately apply pressure to her wounded thigh.

Alex hissed in pain.

‘Sorry babe,’ Maggie whispered, but the term of endearment was still heard.

‘Oh, did I hurt your girlfriend? Shame,’ the brute sneered.

Maggie was just about to reach for her gun before her friend jumped in.

‘Leave,’ M’gann said firmly. ‘Idiots like you are the reason why we’re vilified. Don’t bother coming back - you and your friends are barred for life.’

Another shrug, followed by a laugh before they left.

M’gann came over and handed Maggie a bar towel. ‘Here. It’s clean.’

‘Thank you,’ Maggie smiled as she pressed it down on Alex’s leg. ‘You two haven’t been formally introduced yet, have you?’

Alex shook her head. ‘No. But I like her already.’

 _Just as Maggie thought_. ‘Alex, this is M’gann. M’gann, Alex.’

M’gann nodded. ‘Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.’

Maggie’s cheeks burned.

‘All good I hope?’ Alex asked, her voice tinged with pain.

‘All _wonderful_.’

They burned even hotter as she looked up at her girlfriend, who despite her pain, was beaming. ‘I need to get you to a hospital.’

/ / /

Fortunately, it looked worse than it was.

The knife hadn’t gone in too deep, and had missed any major arteries, vessels and nerves. Alex had lost a little blood, a nice pair of jeans and would be in some discomfort for the next few days but would otherwise be fine.

The incident had still freaked Maggie out, though, and she held her girlfriend’s hand tighter than ever before as Alex sat, leg freshly stitched up, waiting for her discharge papers. ‘I should’ve told you about that place.’

‘Or, given that I shot Brian outside, maybe I should’ve asked you about that place,’ Alex countered with a smile. She was taking this in her stride – she was also on some pretty decent pain meds. ‘You hang out there often?’

Maggie ran her thumb over the back of Alex’s hand. ‘A few times a month.’

‘Are you the only human that goes?’

‘More often than not, yeah.’

‘Why?’

‘I’ve always felt accepted there,’ Maggie said, before elaborating. ‘They’re aliens; I’m a gay girl who grew up in a narrow-minded small town. They’re outsiders just like me.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Alex squeezed her hand back. ‘That must’ve been horrible.’

It had been, hence why she had gotten out of that hellhole at the first chance she had. ‘It was.’

‘At least you had your parents.’

Again, now was not the time so, again, she went along with it. ‘Yeah, I--.’

Thankfully, she was cut off before she kept painting a picture of her teenage years that was horrifically idealistic and fake. ‘Your discharge papers, Miss Danvers. The doctor will see you shortly to collect them and go over how to care for your injury. Will there be someone able to assist you at home?’

‘Yeah’ Alex smiled as she nodded over to Maggie. ‘This one.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So protective!Maggie...time for some caring!Maggie next? x


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa...sorry for the delay in updating this! Knew it had been long but hadn't realized it had been *that* long! I had written the next chapter but, decided, to go in a different direction with it, hence the delay...hope you like it (if you're still reading this, ha!) x

They gave Alex crutches to minimise both pain and the chances of tearing her stitches. Alex being Alex, chose _not_ to use them, somehow managing to persuade Maggie into carrying her from the car to the elevator up to her apartment.

 _Somehow…_ how the scenario had arisen had, not at all, been surprising really. Maggie knew that she was a lost cause when it came to this girl, and would do anything for her. Carrying her in her arms was absolutely nothing and, at least, made those deadlifts she’d been incorporating into her workouts for the past year and a half worthwhile.

‘There you go,’ Maggie said softly as she eased her down onto the couch - the L-shape of it was ideal as it allowed Alex to stretch out her injured leg, whilst also allowing Maggie to sit beside her. ‘Do you need anything?’

‘My pyjamas?’ Alex replied, fiddling with the hem of the ugly green scrub bottoms that the hospital had provided as a replacement for the pair of skinny jeans they’d had to cut off her.

‘Anything else?’

‘My glasses would be great. And grab my eye drops too, it’s starting to feel like a desert beneath these damn contacts.’

Maggie nodded. ‘Will do. Is it okay if I grab a change of clothes too?’ The specks of blood on her jeans and blouse were almost imperceptible, but they were there and they were Alex’s blood, a constant reminder of what had happened – and what could have happened if she’d been even a minute later – that she was deeply uncomfortable with.

‘Of course,’ Alex smiled.

‘Great. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,’ she said, already on her way to retrieve what was needed. ‘If you even think about moving, I’ll tie you down.’

‘Kinky.’

Maggie grinned. ‘I can gag you too.’

‘If that’s what you wanna do, feel free,’ Alex called back.

Her grin only got wider. ‘Maybe another time.’

Maggie slipped into a pair of Alex’s sweats and a bright orange t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan _Hello Sunshine_ before she grabbed the pyjamas that sat neatly at the bottom of the bed, then the glasses and eye drops from the bathroom.

Alex beamed when Maggie returned. ‘That suits you more than it does me.’

‘I did think it was a little bright for your tastes.’

Alex nodded. ‘Kara bought it for me to, and I quote, ‘ _inject more colour in my wardrobe_ ’. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever worn it. You can keep if you want.’

It was silly – it was a bright orange shirt after all – but Maggie fully intended on keeping it. She smiled as she kneeled on the couch. ‘Talking of shirts, let’s get you out of yours.’

‘God, you know how to woo a lady,’ Alex grinned as she raised her arms, allowing Maggie to pull the grey tee up and over her head. She then sat forward a little, unhooked her bra and allowed it slide down her arms – a sight that still made Maggie, who’d seen it all before, a speechless, staring gay mess.

Alex’s body had what society would deem as imperfections – an ever so slight spattering of freckles across her chest, a few scars and even more bruises – but in Maggie’s eyes, it was absolutely perfect. And to make sure her girlfriend knew that, Maggie leaned forward to place gentle kisses down her sternum and down Alex’s abs – something that apparently woke up Alex’s stomach, as it rumbled comically loudly.

They both laughed, tears forming in Maggie’s eyes she was laughing _that_ much at something so mundane. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. ‘We should probably get some food in you.’

/ / /

That evening, she discovered Alex was one of _those_ people – the kind that liked pineapple on pizza.

‘Gross.’

‘I don’t understand why you hate it,’ Alex mumbled with a mouth full of food. ‘You like pineapple _and_ you like pizza.’

‘Yeah, _separately._ I like chocolate and I like Mac N’ Cheese but I’ve never been compelled to combine the two.’ She reached over and grabbed the last bit of garlic bread, then hesitated at Alex’s gaze. ‘Do you want it?’

‘No, it’s--.’

‘ _Yours_ ,’ Maggie grinned as she shoved it into Alex’s mouth.

Their laughter died down as Alex thought back to the day’s events. ‘You said you hung out at the bar…do you know the guy who stabbed me?’

‘Not personally.’ His face was familiar but so were at least thirty others in that place. ‘M’gann knows a bit about him, though. She says she’ll ask around and try to get me some details on where else he hangs out.’

‘Is that safe?’

‘For me or M’gann?’

‘Both.’

‘M’gann’s tougher than she looks – she’s an alien too, if you were wondering.’

‘What kind?’

Usually, that sort of information Maggie would withhold - in the wrong hands, it could get these people who fled to safe havens like the bar, killed. However, Alex was beginning to see that not all aliens were hostile. M’gann was just one example that _Supergirl_ wasn’t the only alien that wanted to make a difference in this shitty world called Earth. ‘A Martian.’

Alex nodded. ‘I know one of them myself.’

‘Another adoptive sister I don’t know about?’

‘No, not family – but close enough,’ Alex mused. ‘That reminds me. You were talking about yours at the hospital, before you were interrupted.’

 _Not this_. ‘Hey, it’s no biggie. You were getting your discharge papers and,’ Maggie nodded over to the gifted scrub trousers, ‘A sexy new pair of trousers.’

Alex sighed. ‘Those jeans were new. And expensive.’

‘At least you still have your life. Which, if I hadn’t shown up, you may have easily lost. There were way too many guys for you to take on. You could’ve been killed. How did you even find out about the place anyway?’ Maggie had only found out about the bar through an alien ex – the NCPD hadn’t even known about the place and still didn’t.

‘A source.’

‘Does this source have a name?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘That place is a safe haven. You may have had good intentions going in there to take out one of the bad ones, but some people would more than happily go in there and take everyone out, bad _and_ good. It’s why you need a code word at the front door.’ And why the clientele was extremely small. ‘Who told you about the place?’

‘They shared the information under the promise of anonymity. I can’t say.’

‘They’re risking lives. _Innocent_ lives, Alex. Good people like M’gann could get hurt – or worse. You _have_ to tell me.’

It took a few seconds, but Alex pushed her workplace ethics aside. ‘Susan Vasquez.’

The name wasn’t familiar, so it couldn’t have been one of aliens that liked to chat or were partial to a game of pool. ‘I don’t know her.’

‘You shouldn’t know her. I work with her.’

‘ _DEO_? You have people inside the bar?’ That didn’t make sense. If they had then Alex would never have went in there alone like that.

Alex elaborated. ‘No…we don’t, Susan…. _Vasquez…_ she’s been following you.’

‘ _What_?’

‘When you were shot, when I brought you into the DEO to treat you, she placed a tracking device on your phone.’

Instinctively, Maggie got to her feet. ‘And you knew about this?’

‘No!’ Alex was quick to answer, but slow to build on that. ‘I mean, I’ve known for the past few days but, I _swear_ , I didn’t authorize such a move. I would _never_ authorize something like that.’

‘But you’ve known the past few days? And you never thought to tell me?’ Now Maggie felt like the one that had been stabbed. Not in the leg, but firmly in the back.

‘I figured if something happened to you, then at least I’d be able to find you.’

‘No, Alex. No.’ And now the knife was being twisted, hurting more with each word. ‘You’re _justifying_ that. And, if you hadn’t got hurt today, then you would never have said anything, right?’ Alex’s silence spoke volumes. ‘Wow…you’re not even denying that.’

Alex looked down, her gaze falling on the cuticle that she had been picking at. ‘There’s nothing to deny,’ she said, her voice small.

‘At least you’re honest about that,’ Maggie muttered. The sudden awkwardness was overwhelming and there was only so much she could take. ‘I’m sorry, I gotta go.’ She turned and headed towards the door, without another word.

‘Maggie, wait--.’

The door slammed shut behind her and the elevator was ready, waiting for her, so she jumped in and hit the corresponding button with a shaky hand. It was only when the doors pinged open to the lobby that she realized that she’d left her injured girlfriend all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh angst...


	11. Chapter 11

She took a walk to clear her head.

She bought flowers.

Then she headed straight back to Alex’s apartment, because running away was not going to solve anything. It had _never_ solved anything.

This relationship was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance at finally capturing the sort of happiness that had eluded her. Yet she was falling back on old habits. Bad habits. She had left her girlfriend, who had no doubt meant well, alone in her apartment injured and without her crutches – they’d been left in the trunk of the car, and Maggie had promised to go back and get them by morning. Although those particular circumstances were new, it still fell firmly under the _old bad habit_ category.

And she felt terrible as she stood, bouquet of white roses in hand, and knocked gently at the door. ‘It’s me…can I come in?’

Silence.

She tried again, knocking harder this time. ‘Alex?’

A few seconds passed. Then, ‘It’s open.’

She entered, saw the discarded, blood stained pyjama bottoms by the couch and rushed over to Alex. ‘What happened?’ She asked, although the answer was pretty much obvious. Alex must’ve tried to stand unaided - probably tried running after her – and fallen. The unbandaged, blood-smeared leg solidifying that theory.

‘It’s okay.’

‘Don’t be stupid, it is _not_ okay. I should never have left you.’

‘I’m a grown woman--.’

‘And? Everyone needs help sometimes. Even _grown women_ who are also top-secret government badasses.’ Despite the blood, the stitches keeping the wound together were incredibly neat. She looked to her right and noticed a handful of medical supplies lying on the coffee table. ‘You have a suturing kit at home?’

Alex’s reply was nonchalant, and delivered with a small smile. ‘I have two.’

‘Of course you do.’ Maggie ran her eyes over the injured limb before looking back up at her. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’

Alex nodded. ‘I promise you that I am.’

Maggie took her at her word, relieved as she reached for flowers that she had dropped at her feet. ‘I, uh, I got you flowers.’

Alex accepted them, breathing in their scent before clutching them to her chest. ‘They’re beautiful.’

‘Just like you,’ Maggie said with a smile before her expression sobered up. ‘I shouldn’t have run. I’m sorry.’

‘I’m not accepting your apology.’

And Maggie did not blame her. ‘That’s fine, I wouldn’t--.’

‘Because you have _nothing_ to apologise for.’ Alex’s tone was firm. ‘You were, understandably, upset. I should’ve told you about the tracker the second I found out about it. I just thought that…if something happened to you, I’d be able to find you, you know?’

It was hard to be upset with that reasoning.

‘Pass me your phone.’

Maggie shook her head. ‘No. You’re right. It’ll keep me safe, it stays.’ She shrugged off her jacket and climbed beside Alex on the couch. ‘This _Vasquez_ chick…does she know about us?’

‘I’d be surprised if she didn’t.’

Given how much time they spent in each other’s company, in each other’s apartments, it wouldn’t need an intelligence officer to come to the conclusion that they were more than friends. ‘Is that a problem for you?’

‘I haven’t come out at work, if that’s what you mean. But I think my boss already knows and I highly doubt Vasquez will start spreading rumours - she’s gay too and she’s not a malicious person.’ Alex paused for a second before offering an explanation. ‘As you can imagine, we don’t get many outsiders visiting the DEO. That tracker…I suspect my boss saw an opportunity with a cop from the NCPD Science Division and took it. And, I promise you, he’s not a bad person either…he’s also that Martian I told you about.’

‘Is he telepathic?’

‘Yeah, so he almost certainly knows about me. About us, too. And he’s never said anything about it either…in fact, he seems happy for me. _Really_ happy.’

Even despite the whole tracker incident, there was something about this boss that Maggie liked. A few things actually – he was accepting, smart to see such an opportunity with a cop and, most importantly, Alex clearly trusted him. ‘Introduce me to him.’

Alex looked a little taken aback at the suggestion, but allowed Maggie to continue.

‘The NCPD and the DEO want the same thing: to protect this city, and to deal with rogue aliens. We should be working together, not living in suspicion of each other. I’m almost certain that we can open up some level of communication, or collaboration.’

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Alex assured. ‘And, who knows, if we do end up working together, I’m sure my boss would be open to offering you a more permanent tracker.’

‘What, you’ll surgically give me one?’ It was a joke, but Alex’s serious expression killed the punchline. ‘For real?’

‘It’s a minor procedure, under local anaesthetic. Mine’s in my shoulder.’

‘How the hell do you get through airport security?’

‘Government agents get special clearance.’

‘Yet, you miss out on the pat downs…you don’t get _all_ the perks,’ Maggie laughed. ‘Listen, I may have been justified in storming off like that, but I should never have left you without your crutches. That was stupidity on my part, and I’m sorry.’

Alex leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on Maggie’s lips. ‘I forgive you.’

‘You don’t have to.’

‘I _don’t_ , but I will. Now, can we please stop talking about it?’ Alex trailed her hand down from Maggie’s jaw. ‘And move onto something else?’

Maggie grinned. ‘What do you have in mind?’

/ / /

They made out. For a little while before cuddling during which Alex drifted off to sleep as Maggie rubbed little circles on her back.

It had been a long day, one that Maggie couldn’t wait to see the back of but, right now, she was more than content to sit on the couch like this – with a beautiful girl and beer. However, as always, something popped up.

Thankfully the call wasn’t from work – if it was, she wouldn’t have carefully untangled herself from Alex to answer it because she wouldn’t have answered it to begin with. Instead, it was her aunt and she tiptoed over to the kitchen area to answer. ‘Hey.’

_‘Hey sweetheart. Is this a bad time?’_

‘No,’ Maggie smiled as she glanced over at her sleeping girl. ‘It’s actually perfect timing.’

_‘You’re whispering?’_

‘My girlfriend’s sleeping. I don’t want to wake her, that’s all.’ She had considered answering out in the hallway but was scared that Alex might wake and think that she’d ran - again.

_‘Alex?’_ The name was tinged with joy.

And so was Maggie’s response. ‘Yeah.’

_‘I’m glad things are going well with her.’_

‘I am too.’ _Delighted_ was the better term for it, more so than ever after today. Twice she nearly lost her...a third time and she might not have been so lucky. ‘How are things back home? I’m sorry that I haven’t called in a while, work’s been crazy and I…well, you know. _Alex_.’

_‘Sweetheart, it’s okay. You have a job, a busy job…you’re entitled to spend your downtime as you so please. With who you please. You never have to justify that to anyone.’_

Maggie knew that but, still, after everything her aunt had done for her, still felt guilty. ‘Is everything okay back home?’

The sigh was telling. ‘ _Your father visited me again today. Asked me to pass on another letter.’_

‘What did it say?’

_‘The usual.’_

The apologies and the most ridiculous so-called _justification_ ever, as if you could _ever_ justify kicking your fourteen daughter out, just because she was gay. If it hadn’t been for her aunt, she would’ve been on the streets. Not that moving in with her aunt had been much better. Maria Sawyer (a Sawyer through a marriage that had broken down) lived in a small one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of town. She had neither the space or funds to afford another bed, so for the three and a half years Maggie stayed there before she moved out for college, Maggie slept on the couch. Like the whole situation, it was far from ideal but it had to do – and that was just one reason why she would never forgive her father.

Other reasons included: the derogatory language he used as he ever so kindly gave her fifteen minutes to pack her life into two rucksacks, how she suddenly had a target on her back when she went back to school because the whole neighbourhood had heard his yelling, and the small matter of how he couldn’t have cared less where she ended up – again if it wasn’t for her aunt, she most likely could’ve been sleeping on park benches and who knows how that could’ve ended.

‘Can’t he take a hint?’

Her aunt mumbled in agreement. _‘He mentions how he saw you on the news the other day, talking about that Guardian superhero? Anyway, he says he’s proud of you. That you’re already a better cop than he was.’_

That part was new, although total bullshit – except the cop part because she _knew_ she was a better cop than he was, both rank-wise and morally. ‘If he wants to know the secret to that, then it’s called compassion – and not being a bigoted asshole.’

_‘He also wants to see you.’_

And right back to the old same shit. ‘Doesn’t he know by now that the feeling is not mutual? Altho _ugh…_ ‘Maybe if…if I saw him, then it might get him off your back and he’d leave you alone…maybe.’

_‘If you were to meet with him, you do it for yourself Maggie. And not me. I grew up with him, I can deal with his nonsense.’_

‘I don’t know…I’m just sick of him always doing this to you. I’ll _never_ forgive him for what he did, there’s just no excusing that but…but if meeting him is what it takes to leave me the hell alone? Maybe it’s worthwhile?’

_‘Maggie. Only do what you’re comfortable with. He lost his right to see you when he did what he did.’_

Maggie nodded. She knew that.

_‘Does Alex know? Maybe you could talk about this with her?’_

‘Alex doesn’t know.’ It wasn’t exactly the nicest topic to bring up and, anytime there had been even a slight segue into it, it had never felt like the right time. She wanted to tell her, of course she did, but there was a time and a place for everything.

_‘You like this girl, don’t you?’_ She could hear her aunt’s smile.

‘Of course I do.’

_‘Do you love her?’_

That word rocked her, made her stutter. ‘It’s…it’s a little early to say things like that, don’t you think?’ Although she’d be lying if she said that she’d never thought that this was _it_ , that Alex was _the one_. Everything she’d felt in these three weeks had been more intense than anything she’d ever felt in three decades of life.

_‘Sometimes. Other times, you just know.’_

And a part of Maggie _knew_.

_‘Listen, sweetheart. I need to go now; my shift starts in an hour. Call me if you want to talk more about this.’_

It was way too early to think like that – so many things could go wrong – but a part of Maggie knew that she loved Alex Danvers. And, with her track record, the thought terrified her.

_‘Maggie?’_

Maggie blinked back to reality. ‘Yeah?’

_‘I have to go now. Call me if you need me. Love you.’_

‘Love you too,’ Maggie replied before slipping her phone back into her pocket. She stood for a few seconds trying to wrap her head around that big four letter word – _love_.

Then a small, sleepy voice pulled her from her thoughts. ‘What don’t I know?’

Maggie turned and forced a smile at Alex – Alex, the girl she _loved_ – and she felt it. They were alone, and she was with someone she would trust with her life. The place was right and so was the time. ‘It’s…it’s about my father.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? x


	12. Chapter 12

Thinking about it never bothered her anymore and, to the small amount of people in her life that knew, she could comfortably talk about it. It was _telling_ the story to someone for the first time that always got her.

That Thursday nearly two decades ago was forever etched in her memory. She could still hear her father’s growling tone, recite every slur and smell the freshly cut grass on which her belongings had been tossed out on.

Alex was a great listener, and an even better comforter. She knew just when to offer a kind smile or a little prompt, and her hold was safe and tight when Maggie _really_ broke down, when she just couldn’t speak anymore because, seventeen years later, the trauma of that day was still overwhelming. ‘You’re remarkable.’

‘Me?’ Maggie half-laughed. ‘I didn’t do anything.’

‘You survived all that.’

‘I _had_ to.’

‘No,’ Alex said firmly. ‘All you _had_ to do was live. Something like that could’ve broken you but, instead, you _survived_ and you came out a stronger person.’

‘Physically stronger too, since I had to take self-defence classes.’ Money had been tight but her aunt had kindly sacrificed her own gym membership to pay for Maggie’s. ‘My school was a horrible place.’

‘But look at you now.’ The kindness in Alex’s eyes made Maggie’s start to tear up again.

‘Thank you, Alex.’

‘Don’t thank me. I’m just being a decent person.’

‘Well then, I’ve obviously not had many of them in my life.’

‘You do now,’ Alex said, resting a hand on Maggie’s leg. ‘And you have your aunt too. It doesn’t matter how many miles away she is, she’s always just a phone call away. Or, if you want, my sister could always fly you cross-country.’

‘First of all, no offence to your sister, but that sounds terrifying.’ Not to mention awkward – she liked Kara, she did and she hoped that they’d get closer in time but could never see herself willingly in _Supergirl_ ’s grasp, shooting through the air. Also, she _hated_ heights. ‘And, secondly, I don’t want to go back. I left that place as soon as I could.’

‘Have you ever been back?’

‘A handful of times. It’s hard to arrange a time. I’m a cop, she’s a nurse – we both work really unsociable jobs. Plus, my dad…he has a habit of showing up at her door. He keeps giving her letters to give to me.’

‘What do they say? If you don’t mind me asking?’

‘He says he’s _sorry_.’ She was sick of hearing that word, even sicker of the notion that it was enough put everything right. ‘Am…am I bad person for not wanting to see him?’

Alex shook her head and her tone was assertive. ‘Absolutely not.’

Deep down she knew that she wasn’t but she just needed to hear it out loud, for someone else to say it. ‘He…he just won’t stop.’ There were few things that she had inherited from her father and stubbornness was most certainly one. The rest? Beside the familial resemblance, that was it. The apple had fallen pretty damn far.

‘Can’t your aunt take out a restraining order?’

‘He was a cop, he knows people, it wouldn’t do any good.’

Alex arched a brow at this new piece of information. ‘Is that why you wanted to be a cop?’

‘I idolized him,’ Maggie said, her mind flashing back to her childhood before it had turned sour. ‘He used to take me to his station, let me wear his badge, take me out for rides in his squad car…I loved all of it, I thought it was so cool.’ One of her father’s colleagues had even given her a water pistol and they’d have ‘shootouts’ in the breakroom – her father had stood back and watched, not wanting to take part in what he had dubbed ‘nonsense.’ It dawned on her much later that his relationships with his colleagues had seemed solely professional, detached of any semblance of friendship. ‘Then he kicked me out, and I still wanted to become a cop but not just because it was cool…because there’s so many people out there that need help, that need a voice, that need to be heard.’

Alex smiled. ‘Like I said…you’re _remarkable_.’

And sometimes Maggie needed to hear that too. Even if the compliment did make her blush. ‘You wanted to be a doctor, right? Why the sudden change to top-secret badass?’

There was a small pause before Alex answered. ‘A DUI.’

‘ _A DUI?_ You?’ _Really?_

The serious expression on Alex’s face gave credence to the statement. ‘My college days were wild.’

‘I would’ve paid money to have seen that.’

‘Believe me, you wouldn’t. Those days weren’t pretty, hell I can’t even remember most of them,’ Alex said soberly, taking another second to reflect before continuing. ‘Thankfully, though, people change. Now, I’m not saying that your father has but you certainly have. You’re no longer fourteen. You’re stronger now, and you do not have to fear him.’

‘You think I should talk to him?’

‘I think you should do what you think is best and, whatever that is,’ Alex reached for Maggie’s hand and entwined her fingers. ‘You will have my full support.’

/ / /

Maggie slept on it.

She wasn’t fully sure when she woke either but, ultimately, came to the conclusion that she’d _never_ be fully sure that she wanted to see him again. Instead, she figured that if a part of her, however small, wanted to see the bastard, then that’d be enough – he wasn’t getting younger and the very least she deserved was some closure and the chance to tell him exactly how she felt about him.

It was going to tough but, at least now, she had someone like Alex.

Still, her chest felt tight as she made the call to her aunt, to tell her to tell him because she refused to speak to him anymore than she had to.

The second Maggie hung up, she was met with a shaky hug from her girlfriend who was still unstable on her crutches. ‘Remember, you can change your mind at any time.’

‘Even when he’s flown halfway across the country to see me?’

‘ _Especially_ when he’s flown halfway across the country,’ Alex affirmed as she hobbled back from the embrace, reaching for the kitchen island to steady herself. ‘You don’t owe him anything.’

Maggie nodded before she put an arm around Alex and changed the subject. ‘How do you feel on those things?’

‘I _hate_ them.’

‘Only temporary.’ And they were only crutches – Maggie couldn’t help but keep thinking about how bleak the situation could’ve been if she hadn’t shown up. She forced those thoughts down too. ‘Hey, talk to your boss about that thing, will you? Set up a meeting, or whatever. I really do think a PD and DEO collaboration would be beneficial. And if he doesn’t agree, tell him that tracking a private citizen is a crime.’

‘I will, I promise.’

‘Great,’ Maggie smiled. They began to make their way over to the door, Maggie a step behind Alex, just in case she toppled. ‘Are you free tonight?’

‘Sisters’ night with Kara. You’re more than welcome to join.’

‘Thank you, but I’ll pass. It’s important that you two have some alone time.’

‘Oh, it’s really no--.’

‘ _Alex_ , it’s okay, really,’ Maggie reassured. ‘I feel like I’ve stolen you from your sister the past few weeks and that’s not fair on her.’

Alex narrowed her eyes. ‘And you’re also aware that it’s her turn to pick the movies tonight, aren’t you?’

‘Exactly,’ Maggie grinned. ‘But seriously, it is okay. I’ve got a crapload of shows on my DVR to catch up on. And all of them are better than _Frozen_.’

Her girlfriend grimaced. ‘I _hate_ that film.’

‘Well you are wounded…you should milk that for all it’s worth.’

‘You’re terrible,’ Alex remarked. ‘But if it means I don’t have to watch that stupid movie, then you can bet your fine little ass that’s what I’m going to do.’

/ / /

After clocking in at the precinct and grabbing a coffee, she headed to the alien bar. It was nine o’clock in the morning, but the door was always open if you knew the password – it would be a crappy safe haven otherwise.

‘Hey Mags.’

Maggie smiled at the Rolticon, who just so happened to be an ex – they’d parted on amicable terms, their relationship nothing more than a brief fling that they’d both agreed had never been destined to go anywhere. ‘Hey Darla. M’gann around?’

‘Yeah, one second. I’ll go get her.’

‘Great, thank you,’ Maggie nodded her thanks before she sat down and checked her phone, finding two messages from Alex.

**_A: My boss is on board with your plan. He’s busy today but if you’re free tomorrow, he says to drop by._ **

**_Ps. I’m on desk duty and it sucks x_ **

**M: Tell him I look forward to meeting him x**

The reply was instant – someone was clearly bored.

**A: _I will. And?_**

**M: And what?**

**A: _Where’s my sympathy?_**

**M: Pretty sure I gave you more than enough sympathy last night…and this morning x**

**_A:_ _It’ll never be enough. Desk duty is THE worst x_**

Maggie went to reply but Alex beat her to it, sending a selfie of her pouting. Maggie’s heart swelled – _damn, she was cute_.

**M: Just FYI, I’m saving this photo x**

**_A: Shit._ **

So caught up in the exchange, Maggie hadn’t realized that M’gann had emerged and had been stood watching. The blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘H-hey,’ she stuttered.

M’gann grinned knowingly. ‘You two are cute.’

‘That telepathic shit gets real old you know.’

‘Girl, I don’t need to use it to know that you’re texting her. And, believe me, I’m pretty sure I don’t _want_ to use it when you’re thinking about her either.’

‘Chill, she was just complaining about work – she’s on desk duty after the whole stabbing incident yesterday, and she’s not exactly thrilled about it.’

‘Sure, that’s what you were texting about _right now_.’

Maggie laughed as she shook her head, eager to move away from this conversation before she got even more flustered. ‘Anyways, I’m presuming that envelope has what I need?’

M’gann slid it over the counter. ‘Sure does. Everything you need to know about Trent Michaels.’

‘ _Trent Michaels_?’ Maggie frowned. ‘That’s his name? He sounds like the lead singer of some 80s metal band.’

‘His birth name is _Tr-Mhia_.’

‘Race?’ Maggie asked as she tore into the envelope, a couple of photos falling out in the process.

‘Nobody knows exactly, although the people I asked suspect that his parents came from different planets, so he may be mixed. There is, however, the consensus that he possesses both superior strength and coordination.’

In other words, a human stood no chance. Plus, there was also the fact that he hadn’t been alone yesterday either – his groupies also had to be taken into consideration too. _He really was like some 80s singer_. ‘Is this the old warehouses down at Westpoint?’ Maggie asked, tapping at one of the blurry photographs.

‘It is indeed. A friend followed him there last night, and says it’s a frequent hangout spot.’

‘Thank them for me. And thank _you_ for sticking your neck out for me like this.’

‘Anytime,’ M’gann smiled. ‘You really like this girl, don’t you?’

 _The Alex Danvers Effect_. ‘I think we both know the answer to that, don’t you?’

‘It’s cute. I’ve never seen you like this before.’

‘That’s because I’ve never _felt_ like this before.’ The buzz and excitement from a new relationship had always petered out within a couple of days, as it became apparent that she and whoever just hadn’t been compatible. That hadn’t been the case with Alex – that buzz and excitement had just kept intensifying day by day. ‘She’s special you know? We just click. And, of course, she’s beautiful and smart and funny. _And_ she has a _Ducati_. The last girl I dated refused to even go near my bike, claiming that they were _unsafe_ and that she _didn’t want to be another statistic_.’

M’gann chuckled. ‘You two are _super_ cute.’

‘Yeah, yeah, I’m a sap. Go ahead and mock, I don’t care.’ She looked down at a grainy 8x10 and tapped it with her finger. ‘I’m gonna get this asshole. For Alex.’

/ / /

City traffic was always a breeze on her _Triumph_. Being able to weave in and out of slow-moving traffic got her back to her precinct much quicker than her squad car ever would. It was much more efficient.

It also left her vulnerable.

She was five minutes out from her precinct, driving on a quieter bit of road when the van behind decided to speed up. She anticipated him moving to overtake, so she veered slightly to the right to let him pass comfortably.

What she didn’t anticipate was him deliberately careering into her, and sending her flying.

She landed heavily. Her shoulder popped and the sheer pain that radiated down her side prevented her from reaching for her gun as a towering, and familiar, figure approached.

‘We meet again, Detective Sawyer,’ Trent Michaels smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruh-roh...


End file.
